Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1351 Clever Raymond

One side of the display illuminated with Max's name, while the opposing side saw a different name racing through a blur of selections, flashing past endless choices. Yet this round, the drawing process dragged out far longer than before, extending into a tense, complete minute that ramped up the suspense across the crowded colosseum, with thousands of stares glued to the luminous names hanging in the air.

A surge of astonishment swept over the Divine Colosseum as the spinning halted and the pairing emerged: Max against Raymond.

Raymond stood out as no mere participant, for his reputation alone echoed with significance and legacy inside these grounds. He once claimed victory in every one of his ten fights until facing the Grim Gladiator, at which point he opted to yield right away without clashing.

That one choice transformed Raymond into an odd sort of icon, a fighter whose might went unchallenged, though his conduct ignited nonstop discussions and guesses.

From that point forward, Raymond rose to fame in the Divine Colosseum, not solely due to his perfect streak, but thanks to the enigma of his choice to avoid battling the Grim Gladiator.

Countless folks puzzled over why a warrior capable of ten straight wins would give up before even gauging his foe's power, and that lingering riddle split views wide apart.

While some admired him for spotting an impossible divide and safeguarding his existence, others derided him as spineless or fake, insisting he shied from confronting the Grim Gladiator even for a single round.

With his name now paired against Max's, those past debates exploded back to life all at once, and the audience grasped that this clash held no trace of the usual.

"Max and Raymond, enter the arena," the announcer boomed, his words booming through the Divine Colosseum and pulling every gaze down to the battleground.

As Max advanced, the fellow from yesterday called out from his rear, "Watch yourself in there."

This was the same guy who'd fielded Max's queries before and chatted lightly with him later, and that caution made Max's eyes tighten a bit as he strode into the arena proper, his face steady but his attention honing sharp.

Before long, Max and Raymond faced off right in the arena's heart, the vibe between them shifting markedly from Max's earlier scraps.

Raymond seemed mild at first glance, his traits at ease and a serene grin ever on his mouth, painting him as one free of aggression even amid combat. Yet that very poise rendered him more threatening, suggesting profound assurance over mere bravado.

"Shall you strike first, or may I take the lead?" Raymond inquired, that steady grin intact, his tone airy like addressing a companion instead of a rival.

"By all means, take the lead," Max answered with his own grin, stance loose but ready.

"As you wish," Raymond murmured gently, and right then his frame blurred into a golden flash hurtling at Max, blade gleaming as it sliced toward Max's throat.

Max countered on instinct, lifting his palm to snag the approaching edge, yet Raymond had foreseen just that, his shape melting back into a golden ray and rematerializing at Max's flank, weapon whipping in once more at blinding pace.

Max shifted like he sensed it from behind, his arm lashing out to clamp the sword again, and as his grip locked on the steel, a crisp crack rang out across the arena while a minor blast rippled from their clash.

In that split second, Raymond's image fractured, spawning a twin form next to it, and the duplicate charged ahead with its blade, stabbing unyieldingly at Max's throat.

Against the abrupt dual assault, Max steadily tapped into a sliver of might from his initial Seven Divine Vein, the Vein of Origin, and eased down on the weapon already in his hold.

The outcome hit fast and fierce, the edge exploding into shards amid a thunderous roar, and the unleashed surge didn't end there. A fierce blast roared out, flinging both the real Raymond and his duplicate backward through the sky, their frames tossed aside as the arena quaked from that one measured unleash of force.

As the blast died down, the duplicate Raymond broke apart into swirling golden specks that dispersed and faded into nothing, whereas the true Raymond swiftly pulled another blade and plunged it into the ground, anchoring himself to stop his slide.

Once balanced, the easy grin that once played on his features had vanished, swapped for a grave and intent look, since Max's quick power flare had repelled him and his copy with no pushback.

Right then, Raymond fully sensed the dread in Max's strength, unable to fathom what force could yield such an effect with apparent effortless command.

"That all you've got?" Max queried with an easy grin, like the event meant little.

Raymond grinned back, but now with an odd conviction in it. "Indeed, that's plenty. I've secured the win already."

"How so?" Max pressed, his grin dimming a touch as a subtle dread stirred in his thoughts.

"Hold on a second," Raymond answered evenly, his grin widening while he eyed Max intently.

Max's brow creased, straining to decode Raymond's hint, and precisely then, an unexpected surge of frailty washed over his form out of nowhere.

It struck sharp and eerie, and with the frailty came a gradual leak of his life essence, as if some unseen force nibbled at his core from inside. His gaze sharpened as the truth dawned, for just one cause fit that feeling.

"Poison," Max noted to himself, and suddenly it all clicked. When he'd seized Raymond's sword moments ago, that's when the toxin had slipped in, revealing Raymond's real aim wasn't to probe power but to end him outright from the start.

"Something the matter?" Raymond jeered, spotting the frailty etch onto Max's face, his stare brimming with scorn. "You seem off now."

Max lifted his eyes to meet his and smirked back, stare keen and icy. "There's seeking death, and then there's crafting a path right to it. Looks like you picked the full package."

A blaze of golden radiance burst from Max's frame as he ignited his Heavenly Luminance Royal Bloodline, enveloping him in a brilliant sheen that pulsed with supreme clarity and command.

The impact struck swift, purging the toxin from within in mere heartbeats, erasing it so utterly that no trace lingered. The frailty evaporated as abruptly as it came, leaving Max rooted firm and commanding once again.